Typical snow shovels include an elongated handle member attached to a substantially planar shovel blade. Shovel blades vary in shape and size depending upon their intended application. For example, larger generally rectangular shovel blades are typically used to remove light snow cover from larger areas, such as driveways, streets, parking lots, and the like. The larger-sized shovel blades cover more area in fewer passes, minimizing effort required to clear snow. Smaller generally square-shaped shovel blades are typically used to remove heavy snow from smaller areas, such as sidewalks, decks, porches, other walkways, and the like. The smaller-sized shovel blades are easily maneuvered and afford the ability to efficiently remove heavy snow and snow from hard-to-reach areas with minimal effort.
The prior art teaches several convertible and/or expandable snow clearing devices that are adaptable to selectively increase or decrease the overall blade area. For example, Jacanin, Jr. et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,704 disclose a wide blade, double handle snow pusher which may be used as a plow for pushing snow. The snow pusher is constructed of two standard snow shovels having blades aligned side-by-side and interconnected by an intermediate blade member having a resilient clamp or spring member. A cross bracing member is connected to the handles of the individual snow shovels to provide additional stability.
Fine et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,324 teaches a manual snow removal device that includes of a pair of snow shovels interconnected by rigidly affixed parallel plates. A locking mechanism, such as a bolt, passes through the parallel plates and the blades of the snow shovels to disengagably lock the blades together.
Pollastro U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,734 teaches an expandable snow shovel device. A series of side blade elements are releasably fixed to the opposing sides of a central blade. The side and central blade elements have upwardly extending flanges adjacent to their lateral edges through which connecting members, such as lock pins, adjoin the respective blade elements.
All known convertible snow shovels, such as those described above, require separate locking means, such as bolts, pins, screws or brackets to attach smaller shovel blades together to form a larger sized shovel blade. Snow shovels are typically employed in cold weather environments and therefore encounter large amounts of ice, snow, dirt and/or other debris, which can often interfere with the workings of the connecting means. Build-up of ice, snow, dirt and/or rust on the connection means of the known convertible snow shovels often makes it difficult to attach and detach the shovel blades.
It is therefore desirable to provide a snow shovel device having means for selectively changing the width of the shovel blade that are simple and require minimal parts, thus increasing the ease of use and minimizing the chance for mechanical breakdown. It is desirable to provide a single snow shovel device that is easily and efficiently adaptable to perform as a small shovel blade for smaller areas and alternately as a large shovel blade for larger areas. More specifically, it is desirable to provide a single snow shovel device that has means for selectively increasing or decreasing the size of the shovel blade, such that the shovel device is useful for a wide range of snow conditions and snow covered areas.